• • Step 6 – Install the Controller,Charger,Contactor
  • Step 5 – Install the motor
  • step 4 – Intstall the Wheels and tires
  • Step 3 – Assemble the steering system
  • Step 2-install shock absorber and rear swing arm
  • Step 1-Paint
  • The BugE
  • UH-13P Back from Paint
  • UH-13P Update
  • Lift Duct moves forward

• • General
  • Hull
  • Lift
  • Steering
  • Thrust

• • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2007
  • June 2007
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  • January 2007
  • December 2006

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Now we have started to install the controller,chager, and contactor, but unfortunately the charger was a different model than the one in the original instructions. Therefore, we have had to modify how to attach the charger to the frame. When we get the charger fitted and strapped on to the BugE we can put on the controller and the contactor. Once we get that we should have a working motor by then.

We put on the motor and noticed that the BugE frame was missing a tab. So we had to cut a L-bracket to weld onto the frame in the place of the tab so we could put the hoseclamp on around the motor and tighten it to the tab to reduce the vibrations of the motor. Then we removed the motor again to figure out how to put the contactor, the controller, and the charger on the BugE. We cut the plastic down to size so it would fit everything on it. The charger was changed from the 2 slim chargers to a bigger more effective charger. So the way the manual said to place the charger on would not work because it was made for two seperate smaller chargers. So we searched the web for instructions of putting on the new charger. We could not find anything for the new charger on the web so Mr. Williams e-mailed the owner of Blue Sky, who suggested placing the charger in several different places. We determined that we would place the motor on one of the original intended sides only lower.

We had a small set back with step 4. In order to install the tires and wheels, we had to order and recieve them first. Mr. Williams ordered the wheels and tires. In the mean time we did part of step 5 to be productive and not fall behind. The wheels and tires came in on Monday. We had to take two of the tires to Skinners Motorcycle Shop, where they reverse the tire tread. We took the motor off again in order to install the tires. We placed the drum brakes in their correct place. It came with cam for the back tire but we did not use it.

when we installed the steering spindles we had a problem with the steering column. After we installed the spindles to the steering column, we noticed that when we turned the steering column the spindles scraped the column. We had to put extra nuts inorder to have enough space for the spindles not to scrub.

We adjusted the front shock to the stiff setting because it is suitable for most riders. Then we had to drill into the bolt holes in order to make them bigger. Then we debured the holes. The manual asks for nylock nuts but the kit doesn’t come with them so we had to go and buy some 12mm x 50mm nylock nuts (x 2). Then we put on the rear swing arm, but had to make sure that we didn’t tighten the nut too tight to avoid collapsing the bracket to allow free travel.

It took us about 3 days to apply primer on the frame. It took about the same for the red paint. In all it was about a week. We applied two coats of primer and applied about six coats of red paint.

When the BugE was delivered it arrived in about a 500 pound box. After we opened the box the BugE was in, it looked like the alien from Alien vs. Predator. Once we unpacked the BugE, it was seperated into the chasis, frame, and electrical equipment.

The craft has come back from United Auto Collision where they did great job as always. We decided on a blue craft with a spray-on bed liner material for the horizontal surfaces to prevent someone from slipping when boarding or disembarking. I’ll publish pictures when the craft is fully reassembled.

You can see we didn’t keep up the site like we should have. Things got incredibly hectic near the end of the project and it fell between the cracks. We have learned a lot and are looking forward to documenting the build better the next time through. We had successful test on lake Ogletree. What a great thing to see a craft built from scratch by High School students work properly. It was great. A few days later we brought he craft to the school and demonstrated it all day for students. It was during this time we discovered the magnetic attraction between hovercraft and trees. Things still ran well until the last few minutes of the day when a landing skid was partially knocked off. We have repaired the craft and sent it to the body shop for paint.

This week we came in to see the inside of the duct had expanded with the foam used to attatch it to the deck. We had to cut off a section of fiberglass and foam to fix the problem. We began the process of mounting the shaft for the fan and mounting the pulleys on the duct. On Thursday we cut a section of the lift duct out and reglassed the parts together. we did this to decrease the height of the duct to allow for the siding to be put on.

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